A review by mahireads
Fairview by Jackie Sibblies Drury

4.0

I really liked this play! I'd love to watch it performed in person. There were just a couple tiny drawbacks that kept me from giving it 5 stars: the play is critical of how obsessed Americans are with race, yet it is a work obsessed with race. Also, it is a touch gimmicky, in that it breaks the 4th wall a lot and blurs the line between audience and performance. That being said, I love campy stuff like that, and I find that those parts functioned to balance out the somewhat tragic undertones of the book. A warning for those considering reading it: this book starts off very blandly, but it's worth sticking through. Once you hit the middle of Act II, it clicks in a super satisfying and intellectually challenging way. Happy brain. I also loved the ending. Definitely more of a conversation starter than a prescriptive conclusion.

If you want to read a more in-depth analysis, check out my review at www.croaker.blog :)